Today's Opinions

One of the most heartening things I’ve seen in the wake of Hurricane Matthew is the outpouring of assistance people are offering others in need. After the storm passed and the sun shone again Sunday, teams of residents gathered in the hardest-hit areas of the county to cut away fallen trees and lend a hand.

I received a copy of a handout that Brunswick County schools recently sent home with all the children in the district on its proposed $152 million bond. They don’t use the words “vote for the bond” but they are skating dangerously close. I am concerned about this because it seems biased for the bond using our tax dollars and our children to promote it.

We wanted to send an open letter of appreciation to the entire Sunset Beach community following the wrath of Hurricane Matthew.

As out-of-town owners of rental property on Sunset Beach island, we were concerned our beachfront cottage may have been damaged by the storm. Even in the midst of the approaching storm, Sunset Properties arranged to have our cottage cleaned when the prior renter departed early because of the evacuation.

American Legion Post 186 took a stand at its October membership meeting. Any sports team that has or will display disrespectful postures during the playing of the National Anthem will have their team’s games banned from being televised in American Legion Post 186. The American Legion’s preamble to its Constitution includes, “to foster and perpetuate a 100 percent Americanism.” We encourage every patriotic organization, veteran, child of a veteran or just someone who is proud to be an American First, to stand with us.

The clear lack of direction and leadership in Charlotte in the aftermath of the shooting of Keith Scott lies squarely with Mayor Jennifer Roberts.

As seen case after case with violence after police shootings, protests escalate, innocent bystanders are injured and significant damage occurs to businesses and property. With this precedent, I am baffled why Roberts refused Gov. Pat McCrory’s assistance at the first indication of possible unrest.

Do we have a “man problem” in today’s economy? Some analysts think we do, and they cite one simple statistic for proving it. After World War II in the late 1940s, 6 percent of prime working-age men (those between 25 and 54) were not employed and were not looking for work. Today that rate is 14 percent. Translated to numbers, 1 million prime working-age men in the late 1940s were out of the labor force; today, the number is 7 million.

Without a doubt, the cost of a postsecondary education is increasing. Whether attending a two-year institution such as Brunswick Community College or a four-year university, more and more students are seeking financial assistance to support their educational goals and college completion.